Theatre
CLASSICS BARD IN THE BOTANICS Botanic Gardens, Glasgow, Wed 22 Jun-Sat 23 Jul
British summertime: more of a concept than a reality. Yet, year after year we dismiss memories of gooseflesh and rain in the hope of mercury- soaring days. It is in this climate that Bard in the Botanics returns to brave the Glaswegian elements for its annual outing of Shakespeare in the park. But what is it about the Bard’s work that particularly lends itself to the open air? ‘The outdoor setting is much more akin to what Shakespeare originally wrote for,’ says director Gordon Barr. ‘lt’s not about the audience sitting in the dark; they become much more engaged with the performance as they are open to the same elements.’
This year’s showcase opens with Romeo and Juliet. Mixing period dress with contemporary live music, Barr explores why it is that this play remains the undisputed champion of the archetypal love story. ‘I wanted to capture the timeless element of it, the fact that every generation can identify with it when it is played as real and immediate.’
The mood for love continues with the convoluted romance of Twelfth Night which Barr transposes into the post-war setting of 1919. Billed as a promenade through the park, this revision of the text begins with a battle- weary society coming to terms with loss, and uses love and comedy to move towards the brighter future of the roaring 205.
On a less amorous note, Scott Palmer’s adaptation Lear strips away the sub-plots of King Lear to concentrate on a family dealing with the onset of mental illness, while Cumbernauld Youth Theatre’s 30-strong staging of Macbeth promises a rare chance to see the Scottish play on such a large scale. And, it last year’s sales are anything to go by, it’ll take more than a couple of driech days to dampen this festival’s spirits. (Corrie Mills)
100 THE LIST 9—23 Jun 2005
widowed. disguises herself as her
BALLET BALLET CENTRAL ' husband for the sake of economic survival. it spoke volumes about the
Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Sat 18 g trauma of transition from one state to
Jun another. both internally and politically.
This piece by the same author. which examines the transition of the East German state to its current form through the experience of a former border guard. is concerned with similar traumas and contains a good deal of dark humour. The session also incorporates two readings of short pieces by Chekhov. and looks like an evening with much to say about the politics of the personal and the political. (Steve Cramer)
NEW WORK SNOW SISTER Tron, Glasgow, Wed 15—Sat 18 Jun
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The road from graduation to employment is littered with opponunities and pitfalls. And choosing the right route at such a pivotal time in your life can be pretty daunting. Which is why. 20 years ago. the Central School of Ballet decided to lend its graduates a hand. Operating as a friendly taxi service from classroom to company. Ballet Central gives yOung dancers invaluable experience of the real world. Touring venues across the UK for a year. the apprentice dancers are invariably snapped up by companies such as the Royal Ballet. NDT and Rambert
The company's 2005 tour features a dynamic line-up of works by Northern Ballet Theatre's David Nixon and Cathy Martson. among others. The music is as diverse as Talking Heads. Duke Ellington and Benjamin Britten. and styles range from classical ballet to contemporary and jazz dance. Stuck in a ballet studio for three years. the students build up a whole lot of energy and enthusiasm for performing — all of which is coming your way. (Kelly Apter;
M“. " .. 4.. "am" It's in the nature of our relentlessly pressured world that all of us foster dreams of isolation. While the reality of being snowed in for a period. in the middle of a cold winter. might seem a nuisance. we can't help but fantasise. at particularly stressful moments. about an excuse for total isolation from responsibilities outside home.
Georgina Bell's piece examines just such a period in the life of two young sisters. Addressing issues of selfhood and the past. the piece posits an ideal week in winter for two siblings. Clare and May. who find themselves with nothing to eat but candy. and nothing to do but play. But their recollections of their childhood will later expose some less than utopian visions. ln development for some time. this piece looks a quietly intense night of theatre. and features a post-show discussion on the Thursday night of its run. (Steve Cramer)
ROUGH THEATRE THE WALL DOG
Dundee rep, Tue 21 Jun
Anyone who saw. way back in the late 808. the legendary production of Man to Man at the Traverse will need no introduction to its author Manfred Karge. Featuring an outstanding performance from Tilda Swinton as a woman who. having been tragically
PHYSICAL THEATRE GLOBALEYES Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 22 Jun-Sat 2 Jul
‘The revolution,‘ as Lemn Sissay once put it. “will not be televised.‘ But it might be caused by the telly. Given all the pap we're forced to watch. the endless drivel enforcing anxieties about property and consumption spewed out by the medium maybe one day folks will simply get a bellyful of this unentertaining ideological strategy to keep us in our place. And at least part of Chicken Shed's production. first put up in London in 2002 and now ending a very successful revival there. picks up this notion of an ideological ‘spectacle' to keep people isolated. fearful and pliant.
Yes. yes. you've heard enough about the G8 in the theatre section. but this piece of physical theatre looks like having a grandeur of vision that makes it a truly riveting watch. Movrng from the atornised vision of the city. which contrasts those who have gained even more than their already grotesque wealth through the globalisation of capital with those pushed into grinding poverty by the same process. this piece branches out to address an array of world economic and ecological issues. There's a genuinely activist feel to this company, which is part of Make Poverty History. and which plans to be marching on the Saturday afternoon before its final evening performance. Maybe you could join them at both. (Steve Cramer)